1874.) Loss of Life at Sea. 483 
other concentration of weight toward the sides, the con- 
sequence of which is that these portions of the ship are 
deprived of buoyancy, and they afford the ship little or no 
support ; so when she is inclined they tend little or nothing, 
compared to their volume, to move the centre of buoyancy 
over to one side or the other, in rolling,—so for want of this 
support, amongst others, the ship rolls through large arcs, 
once the sea has overcome the inertia of the sides. 
And this evil would increase in each, as they were 
lightened by the consumption of their coals, provisions, 
and water, and their stability thus reduced. Great as 
were the arcs of roll recorded of these ships, the probability 
is that, with the exception of the Lord Clyde or another, very 
little of their weights were out; so they were in the best 
condition !—how bad the best ! 
The loss of the steamship Tacna is an instructive comment 
on the foregoing arguments, and a complete condemnation 
of the latest of the unsafe theories, 7.¢., that ‘‘ a vessel whose 
stability is greatest when placed bottom upwards may yet be 
perfectly safe when floating upright.” 
The description of the loss, founded on a “‘ mature con- 
sideration,” as given by the Court, is ‘‘the loss of the ship 
Tacna was due to an excessive loading of her main and 
hurricane decks, which, with the combination of circum- 
stances adduced in evidence as having arisen at the time of 
altering course for the port of Los Vilos, caused her to heel 
over until, falling on her beam-ends, she filled and foun- 
dered.” 
The Court condemned the Captain for “‘ not having made 
known in a more especial manner to his employers the 
crankness of his vessel, and for not having exercised sufficient 
care in the amount of deck cargo.” 
Here is a ship “ floating upright” till she comes to turn, 
when the centrifugal force, which is always greater as the 
centre of gravity is higher, capsized her. But will any 
reasonable man say she was safe ? 
Even a Pacific sea or a squall would have done equally 
what the centrifugal force did. 
We have no question here as to a deficiency in the reserve 
of stability which a high side is said to give. If we ask, 
Where was her veserve of stability that she so went over ? 
echo answers, Where ? 
The captain was justly condemned for loading the ship as 
he did, knowing her to be crank; but he was not responsible 
for the latter, and he might in some degree be excused when 
persons who are said to be the greatest authorities on such 
